Apulian bread salad (4 portions)
This salad is similar to the Tuscan panzanella, which uses stale bread. This recipe from rural Apulia uses Fresella, a twice-baked bread found in Italian delicatessens that keeps well. Fresella used to be made at home by toasting slices of stale bread in the oven at a low temperature – Contaldo still does it this way when he has too much bread. The Fresella can be stored in a sealed tin and can be used in bread salads like this one or soups or simply as a snack drizzled with olive oil. Just spray the Fresella with a little water beforehand to make it softer.
Here Contaldo explains to you the traditional Apulian recipe made with summer vegetables that the farmers grew or could easily get hold of. But of course you can also refine it with peppers, olives, capers, pickled vegetables, cooked beans or canned tuna.
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Red wine vinegar to taste
4 slices of Fresella
200 g small plum tomatoes, halved
1 stick of celery with greens, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cucumber, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
sea-salt
40ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1. Place the onion slices in a small bowl and cover with red wine vinegar. Leave for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place the Fresella slices on a plate, drizzle with about 100ml of water and leave to soak for about 30 minutes. Then break into pieces.
3. Drain the onion (save the vinegar for another dish) and place in a bowl with the tomatoes, celery and cucumber. Sprinkle with oregano and a little salt, add the olive oil and mix everything thoroughly. Mix in the Fresella pieces and let the bread salad rest at room temperature for about 1 hour. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.